CBSE-2019 Syllabus for Polotical Science Classes XI and XII

Rationale

At the senior secondary level students who opt Political Science are given an opportunity to get introduced to the diverse concerns of a Political Scientist. At this level there is a need to enable students to engage with political processes that surround them and provide them with an understanding of the historical context that has shaped the present. The different courses introduce the students to the various streams of the discipline of political science: Political theory, Indian politics and international politics. Concerns of the other two streams-comparative politics and public administration-are accommodated at different places in these courses. In introducing these streams, special care has been taken not to burden the students with the current jargon of the discipline. The basic idea here is to lay the foundations for a serious engagement with the discipline at the undergraduation stage.

Objectives:

Enable students to understand historical processes and circumstances in which the Constitution was drafted.

Provide opportunity for students to be familiar with the diverse visions that guided the makers of the Indian Constitution.

Enable students to identify the certain key features of the Constitution and compare these to other constitutions in the world.

Analyse the ways in which the provisions of the Constitution have worked in real political life.

Political Theory

Develop the skills for logical reasoning and abstraction

Inculcate attention to and respect for viewpoints other than one's own

Introduce students to the different political thinkers in relation to a concept and in everyday social life

Enable students to meaningfully participate in a concern of current political life that surrounds them

Encourage the students to analyse any unexamined prejudices that one may have inherited.

Contemporary World Politics

Enable the students to expand their horizons beyond India and make sense of the political map of contemporary world.

Familiarise the students with some of the key political events and processes in the post cold war era.

Equip students to be conscious of the way in which global events and processes shape our everyday lives.

Strengthen their capacity for political analysis by thinking of contemporary developments in a historical perspective.

Politics in India After Independence

Enable students to be familiar with some of the key political events and figures in the post-independence period.

Develop skills of political analysis through events and processes of recent history.

Develop their capacity to link macro processes with micro situations and their own life.

Encourage the students to take a historical perspective of making sense of the contemporary India.

Class XI (11th)

One paper 3 Hours and 100 Marks

Part a: Indian Constitution at Work

Units

Periods

Marks

Constitution: Why & How?

12 Periods

10 Marks

Rights in the Indian Constitution

12 Periods

10 Marks

Election and Representation

10 Periods

10 Marks

Executive

10 Periods

10 Marks

Legislature

10 Periods

10 Marks

Judiciary

10 Periods

10 Marks

Federalism

10 Periods

10 Marks

Local Governments

10 Periods

10 Marks

Constitution as a living document

10 Periods

10 Marks

The Philosophy of the constitution

10 Periods

10 Marks

Total

104 Periods

50 Marks

Part B: Political Theory

Units

Periods

Marks

Political Theory: An Introduction

10 Periods

10 Marks

Freedom

10 Periods

10 Marks

Equality

10 Periods

10 Marks

Social Justice

10 Periods

10 Marks

Rights

10 Periods

10 Marks

Citizenship

10 Periods

10 Marks

Nationalism

10 Periods

10 Marks

Secularism

10 Periods

10 Marks

Peace

10 Periods

10 Marks

Development

10 Periods

10 Marks

total

102 Periods

50 Marks

Course Content:

Part a: Indian Constitution at Work

The Constitution: Why and How? -12 Periods

Why do we need a constitution? The authority of a Constitution

Rights in the Indian Constitution-12 Periods

The Importance of Rights, Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution, Directive Principles of State Policy, Relationship between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles

Election and Representation-10 Periods

Elections and Democracy, Election System in India, Reservation of Constituencies, Free and Fair Elections, Electoral Reforms

Executive-10 Periods

What is an Executive? Different Types of Executive. Parliamentary Executive in India, Prime Ministers and Council of Ministers. Permanent Executive: Bureaucracy.

Legislature-10 Periods

Why do we need a Parliament? Two Houses of Parliament. Functions and Power of the Parliament, Legistative functions, control over executive. Parliamentary committees. Self-regulation.

Judiciary-10 Periods

Why do we need an Independent Judiciary? Structure of the Judiciary, Judicial Activism, Judiciary and Rights, Judiciary and Parliament

Federalism-10 Periods

What is Federalism? Federalism in the Indian Constitution, Federalism with a strong Central Government, conflicts in India's federal system, Special Provisions.

Local Governments-10 Periods

Why do we need Local Governments? Growth of Local Government in India, 73rd and 74th Amendments, implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments

Constitution as a Living Document-10 Periods

Are Constitutions static? The procedure to amend the Constitution. Why have there been so many amendments? Basic Structure and Evolution of the Constitution. Constitution as a Living Document

The Philosophy of the Constitution-10 Periods

What is meant by Philosophy of the Constitution? The Political philosophy of our Constitution, ProceduralAchievements, Criticisms

Part B: Political Theory

Political Theory: An Introduction-10 Periods

What is Politics? What do we study in Political Theory? Putting Political Theory to practice. Why should we study Politial Theory?

Freedom-10 Periods

The Ideal of Freedom. What is Freedom? Why do we need constraints? Harm principle. Negative and Positive Liberty

Equality-10 Periods

Significance of Equality. What is Equality? Various dimensions of Equality. How can we promote Equality?

Social Justice-12 Periods

What is Justice? Just Distribution. Justice as fairness. Pursuing Social Justice

Rights-10 Periods

What are Rights? Where do Rights come from? Legal Rights and the State. Kinds of Rights. Rights and Responsibilities

Citizenship-10 Periods

What is citizenship? Citizen and Nation, Universal Citizenship, Global Citizenship

Nationalism-10 Periods

Nations and Nationalism, National Self-determination, Nationalism and Pluralism

Secularism-10 Periods

What is Secularism? What is Secular State? The Western and the Indian approaches to Secularism. Criticisms and Rationale of Indian Secularism.

Peace-10 Periods

What is Peace? Can violence ever promote peace? Peace and the State. Different Approaches to the pursuit of peace. Contemporary challenges to peace.

Development-10 Periods

What is development? Criticism of the dominant. Development Model. Alternative conceptions of development.

Class XII

One Paper 3 Hours 100 Marks

Part a: Contemporary World-Politics

Content

Periods

Marks

Cold War Era

14 Periods-The End of bipolarity, 12 Periods-US Hegemony in World Politics

Course Contents Part a: Contemporary World Politics

Cold War Era-14 Periods

Emergence of two power blocs after the second world war. Arenas of the cold war. Challenges to Bipolarity: NonAligned Movement, quest for new international economic order. India and the cold war.

The End of Bipolarity-12 Periods

New entities in world politics: Russia, Balkan states and CentralAsian states, Introduction of democratic politics and capitalism in post-communist regimes. India's relations with Russia and other post-communist countries.

US Hegemony in World Politics-12 Periods

Growth of unilateralism: Afghanistan, first Gulf War, response to 9/11 and attack on Iraq. Dominance and challenge to the US in economy and ideology. India's renegotiation of its relationship with the USA.

Alternative Centres of Power-10 Periods

Rise of China as an economic power in post-Mao era, creation and expansion of European Union, ASEAN. India's changing relations with China.

Contemporary South Asia in the Post-Cold War Era-12 Periods

Democratisation and its reversals in Pakistan and Nepal. Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Impact of economic globalization on the region. Conflicts and efforts for peace in South Asia. India's relations with its neighbours.

International Organizations-12 Periods

Restructuring and the future of the UN. India's position in the restructured UN. Rise of new international actors: New international economic organisations, NGOs. How democratic and accountable are the new institutions of global governance?

Security in Contemporary World-10 Periods

Traditional concerns of security and politics of disarmament. Non-traditional or human security: Global poverty, health and education. Issues of human rights and migration.